begin

be·gin

1. To perform or undergo the first part of an action; start: I began to email you but got interrupted. The rain began around noon.

2. To come into being: when life began.

3. To do or accomplish something in the least degree. Used in the negative with an infinitive: Those measures do not even begin to address the problem.

4. To say as the first in a series of remarks: "I didn't like the movie," he began.

5.

a. To have as a first element or part: The play begins with a monologue.

b. To have as the lowest price in a range: Those shirts begin at $20.

c. To have as a first position, stage, or job: The restaurant began as a ice-cream parlor. The principal began as a math teacher.

v.tr.

1. To take the first step in doing; start: began work.

2. To cause to come into being; originate: an invention that began a new era.

3. To come first in (a series, for instance): The numeral 1 begins the sequence.

[Middle English biginnen, from Old English beginnan.]

Synonyms: begin, start, commence, launch1, initiate, inaugurate These verbs mean to take the initial step in doing something. Begin and start are the most general: The conductor began the program with a medley of waltzes. We started our journey in Montreal.Commence is a more formal term and often implies that what is beginning is something of seriousness or importance: "ceremoniously brandishing the scalpel with which he was about to commence the apprentice's first lesson in anatomy" (John Gregory Brown).Launch suggests beginning something with energy and expectation: She looked for a job that could launch her career as a journalist.Initiate applies to taking the first steps in a process or procedure: I initiated a lawsuit against the driver who hit my car. Inaugurate often connotes a formal beginning: "The exhibition inaugurated a new era of cultural relations" (Serge Schmemann).

begin

(bɪˈɡɪn)

vb, -gins, -ginning, -ganor-gun

1. to start or cause to start (something or to do something)

2. to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate

3. to start to say or speak

4. (used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something): he couldn't begin to compete with her.

5. to begin with in the first place

[Old English beginnan; related to Old High German biginnan, Gothic duginnan]

Begin

(ˈbɛɡɪn)

n

(Biography) Menachem (məˈnɑːkɪm). 1913–92, Israeli statesman, born in Poland. In Palestine after 1942, he became a leader of the militant Zionists; prime minister of Israel (1977–83); Nobel peace prize jointly with Sadat 1978. In 1979 he concluded the Camp David treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt

be•gin

(bɪˈgɪn)

v. be•gan, be•gun, be•gin•ning.v.i.

1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of an action; start.

2. to come into existence; arise; originate: The custom began during the war.

3. to have a first part: The name begins with a C.

v.t.

4. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of: Begin the job tomorrow.

5. to originate; be the originator of: those who began the reform movement.

6. to succeed to the slightest extent in (fol. by an infinitive): The money won't begin to cover expenses.

[before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan]

syn: begin, commence, initiate, start (when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time. begin is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater.commence is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court.initiate implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initiate a new procedure.start means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street.

begin - take the first step or steps in carrying out an action; "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's get down to work now"

begin - begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language; "She began Russian at an early age"; "We started French in fourth grade"

terminate, end - bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I"

2.

begin - have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense; "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes start at $250,000"

begin, start - have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony"

begin - have a beginning, of a temporal event; "WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland"; "The company's Asia tour begins next month"

kick in, set in - enter a particular state; "Laziness set in"; "After a few moments, the effects of the drug kicked in"

originate - begin a trip at a certain point, as of a plane, train, bus, etc.; "The flight originates in Calcutta"

end, cease, terminate, finish, stop - have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical; "the bronchioles terminate in a capillary bed"; "Your rights stop where you infringe upon the rights of other"; "My property ends by the bushes"; "The symphony ends in a pianissimo"

3.

begin - set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life"

set off - set in motion or cause to begin; "The guide set the tour off to a good start"

embark on, start up, commence, start - get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack"

begin - have a beginning, of a temporal event; "WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland"; "The company's Asia tour begins next month"

terminate, end - bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I"

begin - be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series; "The number `one' begins the sequence"; "A terrible murder begins the novel"; "The convocation ceremony officially begins the semester"

begin, start - have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony"

6.

begin - have a beginning, of a temporal event; "WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland"; "The company's Asia tour begins next month"

commence, lead off, start, begin - set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life"

be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer"

begin, start - have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense; "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes start at $250,000"

7.

begin - have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony"

begin, start - begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object; "begin a cigar"; "She started the soup while it was still hot"; "We started physics in 10th grade"

be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer"

begin, start - have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense; "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes start at $250,000"

begin - be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series; "The number `one' begins the sequence"; "A terrible murder begins the novel"; "The convocation ceremony officially begins the semester"

8.

begin - begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object; "begin a cigar"; "She started the soup while it was still hot"; "We started physics in 10th grade"

act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"

begin, start - have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony"

9.

begin - achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative; "This economic measure doesn't even begin to deal with the problem of inflation"; "You cannot even begin to understand the problem we had to deal with during the war"

begin - begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language; "She began Russian at an early age"; "We started French in fourth grade"

begin, commence, set out, start, start out, set about, get down, get - take the first step or steps in carrying out an action; "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's get down to work now"

Presently I was deriving exquisite suffering from this employment, yet maybe I could have endured it if the mouse had attended steadily to his work; but he did not do that; he stopped every now and then, and I suffered more while waiting and listening for him to begin again than I did while he was gnawing.

For either some persons, who envy them the honours they have acquired, will begin to be seditious, or they, on account of the dignity they have acquired, will not be content with their former equality.

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